Jessie Buckley cemented her position as the frontrunner for the Best Actress Oscar, adding the Actor Award – formerly known as the Screen Actors Guild Award – to a growing list of accolades for her performance in Chloé Zhao’s Hamnet. The win, announced Sunday night at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, follows earlier victories at the Golden Globes, BAFTAs, and Critics Choice Awards.
Buckley, portraying the grieving Agnes Shakespeare, was described as “predictably charming” at the podium, according to the Irish Times. “Wow, I want to take a minute to see all these incredible, inspiring faces and souls in front of me,” she said. “I have been categorically changed by so many people in this room and beyond. To get to perform with my heart in my hand and stand beside my brilliant, daring friends who show me their heart. I mean, what a way to spend a life. Thank you.”
The Actor Awards, renamed this year by SAG-AFTRA in an effort to encourage media to adopt the preferred terminology, are considered a crucial bellwether for the Academy Awards, scheduled for March 15th. The organization has long preferred the term “Actor” to describe the award statuette, but media outlets have historically referred to it as the “SAG Award.”
Although Buckley’s win for Hamnet dominated the evening, Michael B. Jordan secured the Best Actor award for his role in Ryan Coogler’s Sinners, a surprise victory over previously favored Timothée Chalamet (Marty Supreme) and Leonardo DiCaprio (One Battle After Another). Sinners also won the award for Outstanding Performance by a Film Ensemble, signaling a potential shift in momentum for the film as Oscar voting nears.
One Battle After Another, still, remains the favorite for Best Picture, having previously won at the Golden Globes, BAFTAs, and the Producers Guild Awards. Awards observers noted a parallel to the 2006 awards season, when Brokeback Mountain swept precursor awards only to lose Best Picture to Crash at the Academy Awards.
Kildare’s Paul Mescal, nominated for his portrayal of William Shakespeare in Hamnet, lost in the Best Supporting Movie Actor category to Sean Penn, who was recognized for his performance as a “demented despot” in One Battle After Another. Penn was absent from the ceremony. Amy Madigan won Best Supporting Actress for her role in the horror film Weapons, adding further uncertainty to that Oscar category, which had previously seen Teyanna Taylor (One Battle After Another) and Wunmi Mosaku (Sinners) claim wins at the Golden Globes and BAFTAs, respectively.
A moving tribute was paid to Catherine O’Hara, the Canadian actress who died in January, with a posthumous win for Best Television Comedy Actress for her role in The Studio. Seth Rogen, creator and star of the series, accepted the award, sharing a personal anecdote about O’Hara’s talent and generosity.
The Studio was the dominant force in the television categories, also winning Best Comedy Ensemble and Best Comedy Actor for Rogen. Harrison Ford received the year’s lifetime achievement award, offering a characteristically understated acceptance speech. “I am quite humbled,” he said. “I’m in a room of actors, many of whom are here due to the fact that they’ve been nominated to receive a prize for their amazing work, while I’m here to receive a prize for being alive.”
2026 Actor Awards Presented by SAG-AFTRA
- Film Ensemble: Sinners
- Film Actor: Michael B Jordan, Sinners
- Film Actress: Jessie Buckley, Hamnet
- Film Supporting Actor: Sean Penn, One Battle After Another
- Film Supporting Actress: Amy Madigan, Weapons
- Film Stunt Ensemble: Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning
- Television Drama Series Ensemble: The Pitt
- Television Drama Actor: Noah Wyle, The Pitt
- Television Drama Actress: Keri Russell, The Diplomat
- Television Comedy Series Ensemble: The Studio
- Television Comedy Actor: Seth Rogen, The Studio
- Television Comedy Actress: Catherine O’Hara, The Studio
- Limited Series/Movie Actor: Owen Cooper, Adolescence
- Limited Series/Movie Actress: Michelle Williams, Dying for Sex
- TV Stunt Ensemble: The Last of Us
